1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a method for conveying a cigarette stream in a controlled manner into an initially empty conveying section of a machine for producing and/or packaging cigarettes, the conveying section being delimited laterally by walls and the cigarette stream being supported during conveying by a movable supporting element which is moved together with the cigarette stream along the conveying section. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding apparatus for conveying a cigarette stream in a controlled manner into an initially empty conveying section of a machine for producing and/or packaging cigarettes, the conveying section being delimited laterally by walls and the cigarette stream being supported during conveying by a movable supporting element which is moved together with the cigarette stream along the conveying section.
2. Related Art
Cigarettes are transported in a cigarette stream within a cigarette-making machine and/or a cigarette-packaging machine predominantly using the weight of the cigarettes. Here, the cigarettes are moved through various elements of the machine along conveying paths or conveying sections.
A problem is always what is known as starting up of the machine because there is the risk that the cigarettes fall in an uncontrolled manner into the conveying paths, which are still empty at this time, and assume an oblique position and/or are damaged mechanically. For this purpose, the prior art according to Great Britain Patent No. GB 2 017 618 A1 provides the use of a platform, on which the cigarettes or the cigarette stream rest/rests during the downwardly directed transport in a conveying section. In this way, the cigarettes can be inserted into the provided slopes without the risk of incorrect positioning and/or mechanical damage.
European Patent No. EP 1 020 126 B1 from the company of the applicant is also concerned with the above-described problem. As a solution, various supporting elements are proposed which are adapted in each case in a particular way to the corresponding conveying sections of the machine.
European Patent No. EP 1 704 787 A1 adds a new solution to the prior art for the problem. Namely, for the first time elastic or telescopic supporting elements are proposed which serve to insert the cigarette stream. In this way, depending on the dimensions and/or course of the conveying section, the shape or the size, in particular the length, of the supporting element can be changed. However, supporting elements of this type require a complex construction and are therefore susceptible to technical disruptions.
Proceeding from this, the invention is based on the object of providing alternative solutions for the technical problem which is mentioned in the introduction.